Capt. Jeff has been featured on The American Outdoorsman TV Show, in the Oklahoma City Oklahoman, Kansas City Star, Daily Oklahoman,
Tulsa World, Wichita Eagle, In-Fisherman's Catfish Insider 2003 Guide, Outdoor Life Southern Edition, and Procats Online Magazine; seminars at the Kansas City Sport Show, Bass Pro in Springfield, Missouri, and the Omaha, NB, Boat Show; and as a Lowrance Electronics Representative in Springfield, Missouri, at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds Boat show.
If
you want to be the very best fisherman you can, there are 3 things
you must learn how to do:
1)
Buy the very best electronics you can afford. I would suggest saving
your money and spending in the $400 to $800 range. My Catfish Fishing Guide boat is equipped
with $1500 of electrinics and they are the most important tools in my
boat. I am lost without them, but you can see why many people choose to simply hire a guide for their hybrid bass or catfish fishing trips. When you add in the cost of the boat, fish locator, and all the other related expenses, it would take an awful lot of guided fishing trips to equal the same amount! Plus, you get to learn from an make use of the fishing guide service's expertise.
2)
Learn how to read maps while on the water and using your electronics
to find all those underwater hiding spots that everybody else is driving
over.
3)
Learn the habits of your fish. Blue Catfish have different habits than Channel Catfish.
White Bass act different than Crappie. Study the fish themselves and
you will soon see that they will show up in the same places and times
year after year and bite the same baits year after year. Remember, fish
do not know where they live or what lake or state they are in. Patterns
from Oklahoma lakes work in Kansas, etc. Fish behave the same wherever
they live.
Catching Catfish
When
catfish fishing a lake with a manmade current or natural current, always
anchor your boat on the upstream side of the submerged river channel.
It might not even seem like there is any current, but if you have had
high water or if they generate for electricty, there will always be
a small amount of current flowing through the lake. Fish the submerged
river channel just like you would any other river with the current taking
the smell of your bait downstream.
The
cycle of Blue Catfish is exactly the same as the cycle of the Shad or other
baitfish you have in your lake. Don't kid yourself: pay attention to
your fish locator. The masses of Blue Catfish will always be somewhere around
the masses of Shad. Look for the bait, catch some bait, cut them up
and driftfish with a carolina rig through the schools of baitfish.
Dont
be scared to fish in 30 to 50 feet of water: Blue Catfish can tollerate
deep water yearround.
Always
fish for Flathead Catfish with live bait and remember, there is a difference
between live bait and lively bait. Make sure your bait is really squirming:
the more vibration in the water, the better the chance for a Flathead
find it.
Believe
it or not, but wintertime is the best time for Blue Catfish. Catching the
fresh bait can be hard, but after that has been accomplished, look for
huge schools of fish in the submerged river channel. It might take 4
hours to find the schools, but once you've found them, anchor your boat
somewhere on the top side of the channel and cast your baits from the
top of the river channel to the bottom of it. Wait 30 minutes and move.
If they are there and in a feeding mode, it will be fast and furious
action.
To reprint this information or read more Catfish Fishing Tips, check out the following articles by Capt. Jeff:
Becoming a Successful Catfisherman
Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Guide Non-Typical Catfish Fishing Tips
Professional Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service Guide for catching Monster Ledge Lunker Blues
Are Circle Hooks Right for you When Catfishing?
The New Face of Catfishing
Catfishermen finally getting some respect
High Tech Tips for Trophy Catfish
Other News: Former Blue Catfish World Record Holder Guides Fishing Trips
More Coming Soon!
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